The blog of Tim Newman

Main menu

Post navigation

Orgies and Pimping in France

Ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who denies charges of pimping, has told a court in northern France that he took part in only a few rare sex parties.

He said prosecutors had greatly exaggerated the frequency of his “licentious evenings”. There had only been 12 in three years, he said.

…

Although using prostitutes is not illegal in France, supplying them or assisting in supplying them is. Prosecutors have been quoted as saying Mr Strauss-Kahn, 65, played a pivotal role in facilitating the orgies, describing him as the “party king”.

Mr Strauss-Kahn is accused of helping procure sex workers for a prostitution ring based at a hotel in Lille.

If found guilty, the one-time potential candidate for the French presidency could face up to 10 years in jail and a €1.5m (£1.13m) fine.

France is probably not the only country where a former presidential candidate finds himself on pimping charges and downplaying exactly how many orgies he was involved in, but you’d not find this in Britain or Germany. It would probably occur in Italy. Russia too. Only in the latter you’d have to have really pissed somebody off to wind up on a charge for this kind of stuff:

The day before he was due to testify, an ex-prostitute named Mounia described how she had been paid €900 (£690) by a businessman, David Roquet, for what she had been told would be a “small party”.

…

Mr Roquet, aged 46 and one of the men who organised the parties, said on Monday that he had taken part for “professional” purposes.

It was important for his construction business and it enabled him to have contact with Mr Strauss-Kahn, he told the court.

Russia would have to reopen the Gulag system if businessmen were jailed for that. Perhaps DSK has pissed off the wrong politician somewhere down the line?

Whatever the truth of the matter, I’m struggling to see how anybody in the courtroom can keep a straight face:

Among the 13 co-accused are luxury hotel managers, a lawyer, a former police commissioner and a brothel owner nicknamed “Dodo the Pimp”.

They face charges of “aggravated pimping”.

Welcome to France, where we have folk named Dodo the Pimp and politicians may in the course of their careers face charges of aggravated pimping. Knowing this place, it’ll probably increase his electability.